books.google.com - Born into a Calvinistic Scottish family, Elizabeth Young's life was turned upside down when she was given, at the age of 11, three American novels: Algren's The Man with the Golden Arm, Ginsberg's Howl and Kerouac's On the Road. An exceptionally ghoulish child, obsessed with graveyards, owls, wolves...https://books.google.com/books/about/Pandora_s_Handbag.html?id=061ZAAAAMAAJ&utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePandora's Handbag

Pandora's Handbag: Adventures in the Book World

Born into a Calvinistic Scottish family, Elizabeth Young's life was turned upside down when she was given, at the age of 11, three American novels: Algren's The Man with the Golden Arm, Ginsberg's Howl and Kerouac's On the Road. An exceptionally ghoulish child, obsessed with graveyards, owls, wolves and horror stories, she very early on decided to devote her life to books, reading and writing. Elizabeth's Young's collected writings exhibit her singular attraction to the bizarre and her dedication to the high standards of a critic. Witty, incislve, wide-ranging and also moving, Pandora's Handbag chronicles the journey of a modern arts critic and Young's personal journey from childhool to critic. Each previously published article is presented in its entirety, with original titles and additional notes. This collection includes two of Young's crusading articles (on Drug Legislation and the Hepatitus C virus), which have become seminal texts.

From inside the book

PANDORAS HANDBAG

User Review - Not Available - Book Verdict

Art critic, book reviewer, and literary journalist Young, who died in 2001 from the hepatitis C virus, polished her craft in various British periodicals, such as the New Statesman, the London Review ...Read full review

LibraryThing Review

User Review - nikkihall - LibraryThing

My desert island book. My bible. Elizabeth Young is the reason I write. Well, her and George Orwell.Read full review

About the author (2001)

Elizabeth Young was brought up in Scotland but lived for most of her life in London. Her journalism appeared in numerous publications including The Observer, The Independent, The Guardian and The New Statesman. Elizabeth Young died in London in March 2001.